Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-30
A SINGULAR SOCIAL STRATUM.

asDeyilish fine gal that" said a man who stood
in front OF DelmOnicO's the other day. The tone
was loud enough for the girl TO hear. She squared
her shoulders bit mere firmly and look oftran-
Quil Availability spread Itself over her face as She
pranced slowly around the corner and bobbed up
2tth street.
.'Gad, she's corker," continued the man, glar-
ing after her rapJurOu5ly.
IL struck me that they were well matched. Both
OF them belonged to the circle OF cheap sweIIs. Ii
had been asked TO pick out a man and a woman
who typifled the vast sea Of the gew-gaw and taw-
dry Swelldom OF the town this pair would have
suggested itself TO me instantly. They are the
1Tippery. frOth and trash Of the under-curreDt OF
New York sOclety-a step above ambitious board
ing house society; a long jump below the solid
and stupid. but respectable, ''tradesnen set" 1t
Is no wonder that foreigners occasionally laugh at
so.le OF the pretenJlons oI society here; IL is alb
surd enough TO 2 native
TIE man at IAy side continued to gaze after the
girl Till she disappeared with ruSn into a glove
store Then he drew long breath and said:
shes d slasner, m boy; as-o-S-siasher. DO you
'.Ies; / know her.
"Whad's 'er name ole chapter
Isabel IhrOckmOrton BiggS."
.N-n-OO?'
..Yes. II Is"
'.Fm DAFT. m son, I'm daft T. meet her; we card
s much OF er, y KNOW
He nervOusly his fingers over the front of his
wai>coat III he found the string OF his glass and
Then ia0OriouSly inserted the monode In his eye
~ was "a "aNeFlng and weary sort or an eye. IL
looked as though IL had been watching the teeth
OF JIG saw 50 many years that IL had given
up ali nope Oh ever becoming steady aCaiu- The
nustache was dropping after i feeble fashion and
the collar very high. The attire or the man was
CHARACTERISTIC OF his set His coat was nearly the
1aShlOntbie shade OF gray, but not quite for the
Ioaterfal was cheap and it looked a bit faded
The shirt was brilliant red and white The cuffs
very large and the skinny hands embelished nv a
lot Of SNOWY r1ngs. They were also rendered con-
spicuOuS by long and sharp nails that were
stained scarlet and polished brightly Grains OF
the polishing powder chung To the edges OF the
nails. I've always held that a man who viii wear
nails OF this sort would beat his mother and glory
Ia II. The trousers OF my companion were wide,
baggy and brlliant his waislc0at OF four distinct
cOOrs, and his hat and stick conventional There
was about him an ever present air OF fnlcky
namby-paInoyISn and he Iancled he was English
because his father was born in Birmingham
As we stood there the girl came out OF the shop
and moved resolutely down on us She was pretty
and weil-Inade, but her eyebrows were draw n
painfully aloft, and the corners OF her mouth
pulled down by a wOuid-be bt0Se expression While
she held her chin monstrously nigh in the air.
Her shoulders were like drill Sergednts and she,
swung her skirts with rythmical swish as she
came along on her toes. The gown she wore was
OF black and white stripes an inch or 80 wide and
the same material served as a band for her natry
little sailor hat Her sleeves violently pulled
out and her waist violently squeezed Ia. She
stopped and DeckODesi TO me when within a few
PAGES and asked me 10 button her gloves As 1
did 80 she said softly:
..is that Mr.. d. r. Livingston Thompkins?"
"He's awfuIly swell, isn't hee.
Something stqpendous. Shall present him?'
did II. anu the conversation began brilliant:
80 ch1rmed!' pushed The man
,heard OF you so often, Mr.. Livingstone Thomp-
kins' said the maid
Jaw, you're yewy good
. law You at Mrs hlcks-LOrds Think"
your ~ ~ - ~ N
30 very much You've no idea
tslPPcu away IL was dollars TO pennies
neither one OF them had ever even gen MIS- Hicks
Lofd They HtrOiled up the street t0cether and
went oak lhdhOra and amused myself thinking
cssf lLS heDDer VI appalling nbs they were tell
nuI vrlr hnt0 limo
s~eAlA I'm siaa fH not ''in society
bLAKELY HALL